1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin wrapping machine, and more particularly to a coin accumulator tube assembly for receiving to accumulate therein a predetermined number of coins prior to wrapping the same.
The coin wrapping machine commonly used at the present day is provided with vertical guide means by which the accumulated coins are guided vertically from the accumulator tube upon opening the shutter provided at the bottom of the tube while being carried by a carrier link mechanism to a wrapping roller assembly, or alternatively provided with horizontal guide means in combination with a partible accumulator tube from which a pile of accumulated coins is guided in the horizontal direction while being carried by clamping levers press fitting on the diametrically opposed edges of the pile of accumulated coins.
The coin accumulator tube assembly of the present invention is particularly suited for use in combination with the aforementioned vertical guide means, and also may be used in combination with the horizontal guide means with some modification.
2. Prior Art
In the conventional coin wrapping machine, after a predetermined number of coins has been counted and accumulated in the accumulator tube, the counting operation is interrupted and simultaneously the feeding of coins is stopped. The shutter provided at the bottom of the accumulator tube is then opened to deliver the pile of coins accumulated in the tube onto the carrier link mechanism which has been positioned beneath the shutter to receive and to lower the coins to the wrapping station. After the coins are lowered below the shutter level and transferred to the wrapping station, the shutter is again closed. The next cycle coin feeding and counting operation is started upon generation of a signal indicating that the coins of the preceding cycle have been already wrapped by a wrapping sheet material, whereby the coins are again fed to the accumulator tube to be accumulated therein.
In other words, in the conventional coin wrapping machine, after an appreciable delay from the time at which the accumulated coins of the first cycle reached the wrapping station, a signal for instructing to initiate the succeeding cycle counting operation is generated, so that the operation of counting and accumulating the coins takes place during only about one half of one cycle operation including the step of counting and accumulating the coins, the step of delivering or transferring the accumulated coins onto the wrapping station and the step of wrapping the coins. Since the operation of counting and accumulating the coins can occupy only half of one cycle operation, the coins must be fed at a relatively high speed by increasing the circumferential speed of the counting gear. However, this has a disadvantage in that an erroneous counting frequently arises from the inertia of the counting gear rotating at a higher speed.